How to Remove Shared Mailbox from Outlook: A Complete Guide

Quick Answer: To remove Shared Mailbox from Classic Outlook, access “Account Settings” or use the “Right-Click” method. In New Outlook and Outlook on the Web, navigate through the user interface to detach from a delegated inbox. Mac users are required to access a separate Accounts preference pane to withdraw Shared Mailbox from Outlook for Mac.

Note: If the “Remove” button is greyed out or missing, assume Exchange Auto mapping is enabled. Disable it via a PowerShell script to remove the Shared Mailboxes from Outlook.

A Shared Mailbox is undeniably a valuable instrument for organizations operating on Microsoft 365. It plays a key role in centralizing business communications, establishing a consistent identity, and maintaining overall workflow continuity.

However, many users and corporate IT administrators are actively seeking a reliable way to remove Shared Mailbox from their Outlook client.

Dropped Outlook performance, constant synchronization glitches, and data corruption concerns are said to be the factors responsible.

So, if you’re a professional user or an IT administrator in search of a quick & reliable way to remove a Shared Mailbox from your Outlook, stay tuned! This detailed troubleshooting guide will share the exact steps to remove a Shared Mailbox from Outlook Classic, New, Web, and Outlook for Mac.

What is a Shared Mailbox in Outlook?

A Shared Mailbox in Outlook refers to a specialized type of Microsoft 365 inbox, a centralized email address set up by an IT administrator. It allows multiple users to read, send, and manage messages and calendars together.

This mailbox is typically used for customer support (support@), administrative roles (billing@ or registrar@), or departmental contact points (info@ or sales@).

Here are the key features of a Shared Mailbox:

No Separate Login: Shared Mailboxes do not have their own username or password. Users can easily sign in with their own personal work or school accounts.
Shared Identity: Displays a shared team address (such as [email protected]) instead of an individual address to recipients.
Shared Calendar: Features an integrated calendar for teams to coordinate schedules, meetings, and appointments.
Free Licensing: Shared Mailboxes do not require dedicated Microsoft 365 licenses under 50GB of storage.

Related Read: How to Create Shared Mailbox in Office 365: 3 Ways Explained

Why You Must Remove Unwanted Shared Mailbox from Outlook?

Keeping Shared Mailboxes permanently mapped to the Outlook profile can cause severe technical complications. So, here are 4 primary reasons why you should remove Shared Mailbox from Outlook:

#1: Preempt Serious Outlook Performance Issues:

When a Microsoft Outlook application is opened, it establishes an active connection to the backend Exchange server for every single mailbox linked to the profile. So, if multiple Shared Mailboxes are open simultaneously, it can drain system resources. Including causing Outlook to freeze, hang, or become absolutely unresponsive when switching between folders.

#2: Prevents the OST File Size Limit (Bloat & Corruption):

Natively, Outlook caches shared folders directly into the local OST. And, if a Shared Mailbox holds 30GB of historical data, the local .ost file will instantly sync that macro data. Resulting in hitting the strict 50GB Microsoft Exchange Limit. Causing the primary Outlook inbox to crash, stop receiving mail, and become vulnerable to grave data corruption.

#3: Fixes Constant Synchronization Glitches:

The Outlook desktop client frequently strives to maintain a live, concurrent sync when large secondary mailboxes are cached. This phenomenon leads to synchronization glitches. Emails getting stuck in the Outbox and newly arrived messages disappearing in the shared inbox are some major synchronization glitches. Hence, removing the Shared Mailbox from the Outlook client is essential.

#4: Mitigating Security and Compliance Vulnerabilities:

Removing the Shared Mailbox from Outlook ensures sensitive corporate, financial, or client data are no longer cached on personal accounts. From an IT administrative standpoint, it is a critical security step that needs to be taken to prevent a massive data privacy risk.

Backup Shared Mailbox Data Before Removal: A Crucial Prerequisite (For IT Admins)

As an IT administrator, always secure Shared Mailbox data before:

Removing them from Outlook clients
Disabling Automapping via PowerShell
Or cleaning the global Exchange directory.

This is because Shared Mailboxes hold vital departmental communications such as vendor contracts, client complaints, and billing histories. And Microsoft 365 doesn’t automatically back up Shared Mailboxes permanently.

So, if a Shared Mailbox is accidentally deleted or a rogue employee deletes thousands of emails prior to requesting the mailbox to be removed from their Outlook, the critical data will be deleted after 30 days. Instantly impeding the daily workflows and causing a catastrophic event.

Therefore, seasoned IT professionals and administrators champion for a secure & complete backup of Shared Mailboxes. And their highly recommended utility for a rapid & robust backup is SysTools Office 365 Backup & Restore Tool. An ISO-certified, corporate-grade utility that guarantees 100% fast, automated, and secure backup & restore.

Download Now Purchase Now

But why SysTools is essential for Shared Mailbox Management:

Here are some exclusive & effective features that position it as the premier Microsoft 365 data backup solution:

Comprehensive Data Preservation: This corporate-grade tool securely extracts and backs up the complete Shared Mailbox data in bulk. Including critical file attachments, shared calendars, comprehensive lists, and custom folder hierarchies.
Exemption to Microsoft’s 30-Day Purge: It is adept at retaining the exact searchable copy of the mailbox permanently, even if it’s purged by Microsoft. Effortlessly allowing users to meet strict legal, financial, and HIPAA compliance mandates without purchasing costly, ongoing archival licenses.
Air-Gapped Ransomware Protection: It prevents critical Shared Mailbox data from a ransomware encryption event by storing shared data in a protected, air-gapped environment, completely disconnected from live Microsoft servers.
Granular Point-in-Time Restore: Allows admins to locate the accidentally deleted or missing email. And retrieve it directly back into the live M365 environment in seconds. Bypassing the absurd need for a full mailbox rollback.
Delta Backup: Enables professional users and IT administrators to sync only newly arrived data in a Shared Mailbox after the initial backup.
Absolute Business Continuity: This backup & restore utility ensures that the Shared Mailbox data remains instantly accessible and exportable for an audit or legal discovery.
Complete Surveillance of Backup: It features a dedicated centralized dashboard to monitor the backup process.
Multi-OS Compatibility: Operates smoothly on various Windows and Mac OS versions.

So, make certain your organization’s highly sensitive corporate data remains secure, searchable, and fully restorable with SysTools.

Check out the simple, step-by-step tutorial shared below to understand how this backup & restore utility operates:

How to Remove Shared Mailbox from Outlook?

Here’s how to remove a Shared Mailbox from Outlook Classic, New Outlook for Windows, and Outlook on the web:

Classic Outlook (Via Account Settings and Right-Click)

Classic Outlook users can access account settings or use the “right-click” method to remove a Shared Mailbox from their Outlook.

Via Account Settings:
Accessing advanced delegated settings, Classic Outlook users can securely disconnect secondary mailboxes. And remove unwanted old files without interfering with the primary inbox.

Launch Classic Outlook.
Look in the top-left corner of the ribbon, click on “File”.
Click “Account Settings” >> Choose “Account Settings” again (from the drop-down menu).
On the “Email” tab, select the primary email address.
In the bottom right corner, click “More Settings”.
Go to the “Advanced” tab.
Under the “Mailboxes” section, select the Shared Mailbox name >> click “Remove”.
Click “OK” >> select “Next”.
Lastly, click “Finish” and restart the Outlook application.

Via Right-Click:

At times, a secondary mailbox may map loosely to the folder pane instead of being deeply embedded in the account settings. In such case, use the context menu:

Open Classic Outlook.
Scroll down on the left-hand navigation pane to find the Shared Mailbox.
Right-click on the name/header of the Shared Mailbox.
Select “Close [Shared Mailbox Name]” from the context menu. The Shared Mailbox will instantly disappear from the folder list. And if the option is missing, head straight to the IT Admin Automapping fix below.

New Outlook for Windows

Unlike the Outlook legacy versions, New Outlook’s refreshed user interface lets users effortlessly hide Shared folders. And disconnect delegated accounts directly from the primary folder pane.

Open the New Outlook desktop application.
Scroll down the left-hand folder pane to locate the Shared Mailbox (usually listed under “Shared with me”).
Right-click on the name of the Shared Mailbox.
Select “Remove Shared Folder” (from the context menu).
Confirm the removal. The Shared Mailbox will immediately vanish from the view.

Outlook on the Web

Removing a Shared Mailbox in Outlook on the Web is incredibly easy. Simply follow the given steps to eliminate the Shared Mailbox:

Go to outlook.office.com >> sign in to the Microsoft 365 account.
Scroll down to the “Folders” section (in the left navigation pane).
Find the Shared Mailbox or Shared folder.
Click “Remove shared folder”.
Click “OK” or “Remove” to confirm.

Remove Shared Mailbox from Outlook for Mac

Outlook for Mac interface differs significantly from Windows. Hence, disconnecting a delegated inbox requires accessing the different Accounts preference pane to cut the connection to the backend Exchange Server.

So, if you’re seeking a precise solution to “How do I remove a shared mailbox from my Outlook on Mac OS”? Use the following straightforward steps:

Open Outlook for Mac.
Click “Outlook” (on the top Apple Menu bar).
Select “Preferences” (or Settings on newer macOS versions).
Click on “Accounts”.
Select the main Microsoft 365 account (on the left side) >> click the “Advanced” button (in the bottom right).
Go to the “Delegates” tab.
Under the “Open these additional mailboxes” section, select the target Shared Mailbox to remove.
Click the “minus (-)” button (below the list) >> click “OK” to save the changes.

How to Disable Exchange Automapping (For IT Admins)

If an end-user submits a ticket stating they can’t remove a Shared Mailbox from their Outlook or the “Remove” option is missing or greyed out, it means Exchange Automapping is enabled for their mailbox.

This feature prompts Exchange Server to actively force the Shared Mailbox into the Outlook application. Leading to mailbox reappearing automatically in the Outlook client.

And the only possible way to remove it is to disable Automapping via PowerShell as an administrator. So, here are required PowerShell command to turn off the Exchange Automapping:

Open PowerShell (as an Administrator) >> connect to Exchange Online using the command:

Connect-ExchangeOnline

Apply the given command to remove the user’s current permissions to the Shared Mailbox:

Remove-MailboxPermission -Identity "[email protected]" -User "[email protected]" -AccessRights FullAccess

Wait until it propagates, then re-add the user’s permission without AutoMapping. To do so, run the command:

Add-MailboxPermission -Identity "[email protected]" -User "[email protected]" -AccessRights FullAccess -AutoMapping $false

Instruct the user to restart the Outlook application. The Shared Mailbox will be removed from the desktop view.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

When removing a Shared Mailbox from Outlook, it is common for users and IT administrators to run into frustrating situations where the Shared Mailbox refuses to disappear.

So, these are the most common technical issues you may encounter while eliminating the Shared Mailboxes from Outlook:

#1: The “Remove” Button is Greyed Out or Missing

Problem: The Shared Mailbox is not listed under the additional accounts. And the “Remove” button doesn’t appear or is greyed out when right-clicking on the folder.

How to Fix: If a mailbox is auto-enabled by the organization, the “Remove” button will continue to stay greyed out or missing. So, right-click the shared folder >> select “Hide in folder list”. To permanently drop the connection to save local resources, contact the Exchange Administrator to revoke the delegated access.

#2: The Shared Mailbox Keeps Reappearing

Problem: After restarting Outlook, the Shared Mailbox immediately reappears in the folder pane.

How to Fix: The Shared Mailbox cannot be removed if the IT department has granted Full Access permissions with Exchange Automapping enabled. An automapped mailbox cannot be manually removed from the desktop client. IT administrators need to connect to Exchange Online PowerShell >> completely revoke permissions and re-add them with the automapping parameter disabled:

Remove-MailboxPermission -Identity "[email protected]" -User "[email protected]" -AccessRights FullAccess

Add-MailboxPermission -Identity "[email protected]" -User "[email protected]" -AccessRights FullAccess -AutoMapping $false

#3: Ghost Mailboxes

Problem: Full Access Permissions have been revoked via Microsoft 365, but the Mailbox is still appearing in the Outlook profile (days later). Displays an “Access Denied” or “Cannot expand the folder” error when clicked.

How to Fix: Ghost mailboxes are caused by an Active Directory glitch where the user token fails to update. The account is possibly stuck in the backend directory. As an admin, open Active Directory Users and Computers >> go to account’s “Attribute Editor” >> find MsExchDelegateListLink attribute and manually remove the Shared Mailbox entry from that list.

#4: Local OST File Caching & Freezing Errors

Problem: The Shared Mailbox was removed from the server, but Outlook is now freezing, crashing, or still showcasing the old cached folders offline.

How to Fix: This technical complication occurs when local .ost files have been corrupted by the ghost data of the removed mailbox. Avoid manually deleting the cached folders one by one. Instead, close Outlook >> go to the Windows Control Panel >> select “Mail” and create a new Outlook profile. This activity will force the desktop client to fetch a fresh, clean directory from the Microsoft 365 servers. Completely bypassing the bloated cache.

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FAQs

Q.1: Why can’t I remove a Shared Mailbox from Outlook?

If the IT department has assigned permission using Exchange “Automapping”, a Shared Mailbox can’t be removed from Outlook . The “Remove” or “Close” options will remain greyed out until the IT administrator disables “Automapping”.

Q.2: How to remove a Shared Mailbox from New Outlook if right-clicking doesn’t work?

Here are simple steps to remove a Shared Mailbox from New Outlook if right-clicking doesn’t work:

Go to “Settings (gear icon)” >> select “Accounts”.
Click “Email accounts” >> check the status of the Shared Mailbox.
If it is listed as a delegated account, click “Manage” >> hit “Remove”.
If it is not available, Automapping is enforced by the organization.

Q.3: Does removing a Shared Mailbox from Outlook delete the emails?

Absolutely not! Removing a Shared Mailbox from your Outlook client conceals it from your view. It does not delete the mailbox, emails, or the data from the Microsoft 365 server.

Q.4: How do I stop receiving notifications for a Shared Mailbox without removing it?

To keep the Shared Mailbox but stop receiving notifications, follow the given steps:

Go to “File” >> select “Options”.
Click “Mail”.
Under the “Message arrival” section, uncheck “Display a Desktop Alert”.

Note: The respective steps will also disable alerts for the primary inbox as well. Alternatively, request IT admin to disable Automapping to access the Shared Mailbox via a separate browser window through Outlook on the Web.